1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for subjecting a substrate to predetermined processing.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, substrate processing apparatuses have been provided with a plurality of processing units such as liquid processing units and thermal processing units. In order to subject a substrate to a series of processings, a substrate transport robot for carrying the substrate among the plurality of processing units is provided (see JP-A-11-329912).
Each of the processing units is provided with a shutter. When the substrate is carried in and out, the shutter is opened, so that the substrate can be carried in and out by the substrate transport robot. Further, the shutter is closed while the substrate is being processed.
When the shutter is not opened due to inferior operation or the like at the time of carrying in the substrate, collisions between the substrate transport robot and the shutter cannot be avoided so that the substrate is damaged. Even when there exists a substrate receiving member in a carrying passage of the substrate transport robot due to inferior operation of the substrate receiving member, for example, within each of the processing units, collisions between the substrate transport robot and the substrate receiving member cannot be also avoided so that the substrate is damaged.